Even for the pros, survival is precarious in Alaska’s wilderness. From dodging mountains of snow to adapting to climate change, life is never easy for the Alaskans on Life Below Zero. And with just two episodes left in the season, the Arctic survivalists are battling to make it through the winter.

The ever-resilient Sue Aikens vanquishes obstacle after obstacle every week, from hurt backs to marauding bears. But this week, she’s in danger of getting buried. A 17-foot mound of snow looms over her meat shed, and if it collapses, her supplies are gone, leaving sue with tens of thousands of dollars in damage. The snow is threatening to destroy her Kavik camp, and with several weather fronts moving in, Sue needs to clear the snow out or risk serious damage.

For Andy and Kate, the effects of climate change are hitting home hard. The couple lives on the Yukon River, and the shifting seasons are resulting in an erratic winter, causing the river ice that they depend upon as a trail to civilizations to break into pieces. There’s not much Andy and Kate can do to combat the changing seasons, forcing their daily routines to adapt to nature’s new demands. But if temperatures grow too warm for the river to freeze, Andy and Kate won’t be able to reach Eagle, the nearest town to their settlement. No path to civilization means no supplies for the couple, leaving them stranded in the wilderness. This week, it’s up to Andy to forge a new path to town when an ice floe they depend upon for river crossing breaks off.

The Hailstones are experts at living off the Alaskan land, and when caribou hunting season arrives, Chip and Agnes prepare to journey across the icy tundra chasing seasonal game. Chip and Agnes decide to leave their children behind, making the journey with one another instead. It’s not an easy route; the Hailstones must travel miles and miles over rivers and tundra, setting up a base camp and living out of their tent. With no guarantee that they’ll trap the big game they’re looking for, Chip and Agnes will take anything that helps them provide for their family.

For subsistence hunter Glenn Villenueve, predators are an ever-present danger in his Brooks Range home. He’s competing with bears and wolves to catch valuable prey, and oftentimes, he’s not the alpha mammal on the tundra. But when Glenn hears wolves in the distance, he follows them, hoping that they’re chasing prey that he can capitalize on too. In the winter, caribou are the prize game, but Glenn also hunts smaller animals like grouse or hares. Hopefully, the wolves will lead him to his own dinner.

Comments

HAROLD WAGNER

United states of america

June 26, 2014, 8:53 pm

You need to clean up the editing. Chip & Agnes on a trip with snow machine pulling full sled/ empty sled./full sled/ empty sled …. etc. People in the same story situation with 3 diff. sets of clothes on, etc. Stories are great, filming fantastic, interesting people but it needs some continuity.

HAROLD WAGNER

United states of america

June 26, 2014, 9:09 pm

Your series need some improvement in editing. Chip & Agnes on a trip with snow machine pulling a loaded sled/empty sled/ full sled/ empty sled. People in the same situation wearing 2 or 3 different sets of clothes. Hunting scenes with at least two different rifles. The stories are interesting, the scenery beautiful but the continuity needs some work.